The Quest for St Nick
by portalkeeper
Summary: [Complete!!] The Animorphs help Santa Claus with a little mission in their spare time and find out Santa's little secret...
1. Jake

1.1.1 The Quest for St. Nick  
  
  
  
By Portalkeeper87  
  
  
  
A/N: Just in time for Christmas.  
  
  
  
2 Chapter 1-Jake  
  
  
  
It was just another busy day at the mall. Christmas was coming up, so Rachel had decided to drag us all out shopping. Trust me, a mall experience with Rachel is worse than battling a dozen Hork-Bajir.  
  
Anyway, I was currently sitting-no, collapsed, actually, on a bench in front of Macy's. A dozen bags of all sizes and shapes were heaped around me. Marco lay on the bench to my left, and Tobias slumped half-asleep on my right. We were all loaded with shopping bags.  
  
Rachel, Cassie, and Ax were still charging through the mall, pursuing the sale rack. Cassie would have been here with the rest of us, but she'd feel guilty leaving her best friend. And Ax was obeying Rachel's every command. After all, Rachel had plenty of cash. And she was bribing him with the promise of cinnamon buns and chocolate.  
  
I was just slipping off to sleep when I heard Rachel's voice, arguing angrily.  
  
"What do you mean you're not shopping anymore?" she demanded.  
  
"Rachel, my obligation as your best friend only goes so far. I seriously can't take anymore." Cassie collapsed on my bench, squashing a few bags from Express.  
  
"And no matter how many cinnamon buns I receive in payment, I shall not suffer any more of this despicable task."  
  
I raised my eyebrows. Ax? Turning down food? Wow, Rachel must be worse than I thought.  
  
"Fine, fine," Rachel said. "I'll let you guys off the hook. It's getting dark; time for us to head back anyhow."  
  
We trudged toward the exit. Near the door was one of those displays where a fake Santa sat. You know the kind, where the little kids line up for a chance to speak to Santa.  
  
Ax spotted the store Santa. "Who is that man with excess body mass in the thick red artificial skin?"  
  
"That's jolly old St. Nick," Marco said rather cheerfully. "Kids go sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas."  
  
"Does he possess the ability to grant wishes?" Ax asked.  
  
Cassie sighed, wanting to go home. I could identify with her. "It's a human tradition."  
  
"Ah," Ax began. Just then, he saw the last little kid jump off Santa's lap. She was sucking on a candy cane Santa had given her. "I would like to experience this strange and unusual human custom."  
  
I groaned out loud. But Ax was already racing toward the startled Kris Kringle.  
  
"I would like to have many cinnamon buns. The type with extra frosting and dripping with cinnamon," he exclaimed, leaping onto Santa's lap.  
  
Santa sort of went "oof", then managed to wheeze out a "merry Christmas" before his fake throne collapsed. The store Santa went beet red and stood up.  
  
"Here, have a candy cane," he growled, thrusting his sack forward. Santa was not having a great day.  
  
"Ooh, bad move," Marco observed.  
  
Ax grabbed the entire sack and began stuffing it-sack and all-into his open mouth. 


	2. Rachel

1 Chapter 2-Rachel  
  
  
  
After Santa's elves managed to pull Ax away from the sack, we began to walk home. We saw Santa muttering incomprehensible words as he started up an old Chevrolet. I guess he stepped on the gas too hard, because next thing we knew, the car had crashed into a light pole.  
  
Santa jumped out and began bellowing inappropriate words.  
  
We rushed over, feeling slightly guilty.  
  
"That's the last straw! No more Santa!" he yelled, jerking off his hat and throwing it upon the ground. "No believers, no presents!"  
  
"Um, sir, we're sorry," Cassie began. "But you shouldn't just quit your job because of a few bad experiences. I mean, all the little kids look forward to seeing you, and it's hard to hire a replacement Santa so late into the season."  
  
Santa glared at her. "You try delivering all those presents," he growled. "Presents for all the world's children in one night. You try doing it for 300 years and see if you don't get cranky."  
  
Marco laughed. "You're not the real Santa, so why would you care?"  
  
"Oh, but I am. Let's see, when you were four you wished for a tricycle, but because you broke the basement window, you received the second item on your list, a magic set."  
  
Marco's mouth hung open. "No way," he declared, quickly closing it.  
  
"And you, Rachel," he said, turning towards me, "wanted Birthday Barbie that same year, but for beating up the kid Joe in your preschool class, you received a set of ponytail holders."  
  
My jaw dropped open.  
  
"And Cassie, you wished for the shovel and spade set to start your own garden, but you were extra good that year, so you received the set of flowerpots, too. Jake, you got the Junior-sized basketball you wished for, and Tobias, you got that dinosaur assembly set."  
  
Now adrenaline began to race through my system. How did he know Tobias? It was one thing for him to maybe be an old neighbor who knew us as kids, but how could he possibly know Tobias?  
  
"What about our friend Philip?" Marco asked casually.  
  
Santa smiled. "I limit delivery to this planet only. Otherwise I'd never finish in one night."  
  
Our jaws all dropped open. This guy had to be a Controller. A Controller who knew just a bit too much.  
  
"And let's see, you six have been fighting the Yeerk invasion for the past year. That puts you on my nice list, but all the lives you took lands you on the naughty list. So I'm having an especially hard time deciding what to get you this year." 


	3. Tobias

1 Chapter 3-Tobias  
  
  
  
"Guys, he is for real," Cassie said in shock.  
  
"No way," Rachel countered angrily. "This guy's just a Controller who knows too much. We have to get rid of him, now."  
  
"If I'm a Controller," Santa cut in smoothly, "we'd be surrounded by Visser Three's troops this very minute."  
  
After a few more minutes of arguing, we decided to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.  
  
"It doesn't really matter anyway," Santa said sadly. "I'm not doing the job anymore. Nobody believes. I'm gonna start going on vacation to Florida."  
  
"But-" Cassie tried to reason.  
  
Santa suddenly cut in, a twinkle in his eye. "If you children can deliver the presents for me, show me that you care enough to do it, I'll reconsider."  
  
Us? He wanted us to drive a sleigh through the sky? Deliver presents to every child in one night?  
  
"See you on Christmas Eve," he said. 


	4. Cassie

1 A/N: Enjoy! Oh, and read and review some of my other stories. I DID edit and post new stuff, but for some weird reason, it doesn't show up under 'updated'. Oh well.  
  
  
  
2 Chapter 4-Cassie  
  
  
  
I fell asleep on Christmas Eve, determined not to wake up for 24 hours.  
  
We had gone on terrible missions since meeting that weird Santa Claus. And I was exhausted.  
  
Suddenly, I landed on a hard, cold surface. I was instantly awake and ready for combat.  
  
I glanced around. Snow was everywhere. And boy was it cold. The others were also freezing around me.  
  
"Is this a dream?" I asked, confused.  
  
"No," a voice said. I spun around.  
  
Santa! He lumbered towards us, dragging a large red sack. I looked at his warm, cozy red suit and immediately became jealous. Which shows just how pathetic my life has become.  
  
"Here, kids. Take these." He heaved the bulging sack at Jake, who crumpled underneath it. "Now get cracking. You only have a few hours."  
  
And then he vanished without a trace.  
  
I looked around.  
  
"So, where's the reindeer?" 


	5. Marco

1 Chapter 5-Marco  
  
  
  
We looked around the North Pole but could only find one solitary reindeer. No sleigh, no workshop, nothing.  
  
This place was barren.  
  
"So how does that guy expect us to deliver all these presents?" I chattered, hopping from foot to foot. Trying to keep warm.  
  
"Are you sure this isn't a dream?" Rachel asked, her lips turning blue.  
  
"Last time I checked, my dreams all involved blond chicks, plural, not just you, Rachel."  
  
She sent a glare that would have frozen me, except that I was already frozen.  
  
"Morph the reindeer," Cassie chattered. "What could be better?"  
  
That was how we ended up pulling-no, dragging a heaving sack across the sky. 


	6. Ax

1 Chapter 6-Ax  
  
  
  
We were now six identical reindeer. I was in a body similar to my own, but completely adapted to the cold. Then I felt a strange sensation, a strange new ability.  
  
Woah, Ax-man, you're flying! Tobias exclaimed.  
  
I looked down. Sure enough, I had cleared the ground. This body possessed no wings. No organs for flight. Yet I was apparently in the air.  
  
Guys, we have a schedule to keep, Prince Jake called. Stop flying around and help me lift this bag.  
  
I grabbed a part of the red sack and moments later, we were flying across the sky. 


	7. Jake

1 Chapter 7-Jake  
  
  
  
We flew along, making conversation, until we reached the first house.  
  
What do we do now? Marco asked, turning his head to look quizzically at me.  
  
How should I know? I snapped.  
  
Guys, cool it, Cassie ordered firmly. We've been in worse fixes. All we need to do is get the presents down the chimney.  
  
Yeah, it sounds just so simple when you put it that way, Marco complained.  
  
Let's do it! 


	8. Rachel

1 Chapter 8-Rachel  
  
  
  
We landed on the roof with a soft thump. We looked at each other with reindeer eyes.  
  
Well? Go ahead, Rachel, Marco said.  
  
I demorphed.only not into my own body. What emerged was not a black leotard. It was a red Santa suit.  
  
I grew white hair and a long white beard. My belly became chubby and I couldn't look down at my shiny black boots anymore.  
  
I was Santa Claus.  
  
"Yahh!" I yelped, managing to leap three millimeters off the roof.  
  
Ookay, Rachel, that is seriously not attractive. Marco, of course.  
  
Rachel, are you sure you want to do this? Cassie asked, sensing my hesitation.  
  
Want? Yeah, right. But I couldn't back down.  
  
"Ho, ho, ho!" I yelled instead, jumping down the chimney.  
  
It was a tight fit and the inside of the chimney was covered in soot, but I made it down.  
  
Hey, Rachel, you forgot the bag!  
  
THUMP!  
  
It landed on my head.  
  
"Oww," I muttered, lifting off the Santa hat and rubbing my head. I surveyed the room. The Christmas tree was in a corner.  
  
I lumbered over and opened the sack.  
  
"Let's see, what do I do now?"  
  
There was a piece of paper inside. I took it out and read the message.  
  
Rachel,  
  
This house contains the following child(ren):  
  
Annie-good this year  
  
Santa  
  
PS  
  
Leave a present under the tree.  
  
I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Santa to take care of everything. Except for the one thing that I needed, which was for him to be here instead of me.  
  
I grabbed a present and tossed it under the tree.  
  
"Now how do I get out?" I wondered, walking over to the chimney, hauling my bag of gifts.  
  
When I got underneath it, a force pulled me right up to the roof. 


	9. Tobias

1 Chapter 9-Tobias  
  
  
  
We pulled the sack from house to house. Rachel was always the one to morph into Santa and deliver the presents. Frankly, I don't think anyone else had the nerve.  
  
At most houses, Rachel left no presents. Those were the houses of children who misbehaved. At the houses of children who were good, she left a wrapped parcel that became whatever the child had wished for.  
  
A cool concept.  
  
As we pulled the sack, I felt no fatigue. The reindeer could go on all night.  
  
When we landed on the next roof, Marco accidentally kicked a clump of snow off the roof. It should have hit the ground instantaneously. Instead, each bit of snow was falling sl-l-l-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w-ly. It was true. Every second was miraculously stretched into an hour.  
  
Good, because we needed it.  
  
This team of reindeer traveled around the globe, stopping at the dwellings of every child and demorphing every two hours.  
  
Finally, we had come full circle. Back to the states.  
  
And one last house. 


	10. Cassie

1 Chapter 10-Cassie  
  
  
  
Rachel opened the sack once more.  
  
She looked puzzled for a moment, then passed the note around.  
  
"What does this mean?" she asked.  
  
Rachel,  
  
This house contains the following child(ren):  
  
Bobby--TERRIBLE this year  
  
Santa  
  
PS  
  
Bring back to North Pole.  
  
I guess we have to get this kid back to the North Pole, I suggested.  
  
What's Santa gonna do with him? Marco asked. Teach him the meaning of Christmas or something?  
  
"I dunno. Be back in a sec." Rachel hopped down the chimney and reappeared moments later, a sleeping 10-year-old boy in her arms.  
  
She placed the little boy on Jake's back and morphed.  
  
Somehow, we got the kid back to the North Pole. 


	11. Marco

1 A/N: This chapter includes some cameo appearances of characters from Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles. If you like her stories, feel free to read my newly begun "Revealed" series. As usual, reviews welcome.  
  
  
  
2  
  
3 Chapter 11-Marco  
  
  
  
When we got down, Santa was waiting.  
  
"Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas!" he greeted us cheerfully. No duh, since we just finished his job.  
  
Then he spotted Bobby, who was beginning to wake up.  
  
"Very merry, indeed," he said, eyes getting bright. A smile stretched across his face, a smile that wasn't exactly the jolly one I expected.  
  
He strode toward the boy, who was looking around completely confused.  
  
"What do you have here, Kris?" a voice called out from behind.  
  
I spun around. Approaching us very rapidly was a college-aged guy. His blue eyes seemed to glitter and his curly blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail.  
  
Oh, and his skin was the same color as the icy snow that covered the ground.  
  
He glanced at us and smiled slyly, revealing glistening sharp white teeth.  
  
And I thought Rachel 's dazzling grin was scary.  
  
"Some new helpers, Santa? Will they be staying for our midnight snack?"  
  
The stranger had suddenly grabbed hold of my neck and lifted me about two feet off the ground.  
  
"May I?" he asked politely, grinning toothily.  
  
"Now wait a minute, Lestat," Santa said patiently, amid my kicking and screaming. "You know that these children have to fight the Yeerk invasion. We can't wipe them out."  
  
"How about just one? I'm sure he wouldn't matter," my captor purred, his icy fingers making my skin crawl.  
  
"No," another voice said quite firmly. "You know these children are necessary for Earth's survival. Stop teasing the poor boy."  
  
"Fine," he muttered, dropping me to the snow-packed ground. I scrambled to my feet and joined the others, who were all in polar bear morph. I focused on my own bear DNA.  
  
"They think they can fight us," my captor mocked, gesturing at my friends and me. "And with such ludicrous shapes."  
  
Another figure suddenly moved next to the blond one. This one also had blond hair and blue eyes, but his hair had been brushed neatly around his shoulders and he seemed much more mature.  
  
His image might have been helped by his crimson velvet suit and polished dress shoes, whereas the other one wore a faded denim jacket and tattered jeans.  
  
The first guy rolled his eyes. "Don't think I always dress like this. But I didn't have any money with me and my clothes were falling apart, so I took these from my last meal."  
  
We stared at them. At two animated, breathing marble statues.  
  
Santa stood next to them.  
  
Six to three. But I had the feeling that we would lose. 


	12. Ax

1 A/N: Sorry if this part makes you hurl.  
  
2  
  
3  
  
4 Chapter 12-Ax  
  
  
  
One of the pale strangers began to approach us, but Santa stopped him.  
  
"These are my helpers, my guests," he explained to the human. "They brought us our meal."  
  
Santa gestured towards the human youth who was now looking at us in dazed wonder.  
  
Then, very swiftly, he had sank his teeth into the boy's tender neck, pulling away after a few moments to pass his victim around the group of strangers.  
  
Within a few seconds all of them had drunk and the boy sat dumbly on the snow, woozy from blood loss. But he would survive.  
  
Then, with a movement too fast for my bear eyes to detect, the impulsive one broke his neck and licked at the oozing blood.  
  
I looked away, suppressing a shudder.  
  
Cool, Rachel drooled, bounding forth and demorphing.  
  
"Leave some for me!" she exclaimed as her human mouth formed.  
  
"Bien sûr, ma petite," he said with a laugh, shoving the half-frozen corpse toward her.  
  
Rachel bent down and drained what was left of the boy.  
  
Rachel, what are you doing?! Cassie cried, batting the body away.  
  
Rachel grinned back at us, bright red blood dripping down her face and staining her clothing.  
  
And before she could say a word- 


	13. Jake

1 Chapter 13-Jake  
  
  
  
--I woke up.  
  
"Holy shit!" I yelled, leaping out of bed.  
  
I glanced at my alarm clock.  
  
5:23.  
  
Christmas morning. Barely dawn.  
  
I grabbed the phone on my desk and speed-dialed Cassie.  
  
Brr-  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Cassie?"  
  
"Jake? I was just going to call you."  
  
My throat constricted.  
  
"It wasn't a dream?"  
  
Pause.  
  
"Check under your chimney."  
  
I hung up the phone and bolted downstairs.  
  
My Dad's Jewish, so we don't have a tree, but my mom insists on stockings.  
  
But there was a red package under the chimney. We don't have red wrapping paper.  
  
Heart pounding, I tore it open.  
  
On top was a plain white card.  
  
Dear Jake,  
  
I won't be fighting with you guys anymore. Sorry, but I like my new job better. See you next year on Christmas Eve!  
  
Your cuz,  
  
Rachel  
  
  
  
I sat down hard. Then slowly, very slowly, I looked down at what the package contained.  
  
And stopped breathing.  
  
My own GameCube!  
  
"Thanks, Santa."  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Okay, I know that was a little weird. But I had no idea how to end this story and I gotta start working on "The Truth Will Set You Free" again. So, see you over there! (Unless someone has an idea for a good conclusion?) 


	14. Notes

Notes:  
  
In case you had any questions:  
  
Santa Claus was a vampire. That's how he could live forever and also why he only comes out at night.  
  
Those weird people were from Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles.  
  
What do you get when Santa gives you a little nibble? Frostbite. (I know, that was cheesy.)  
  
Please R & R! 


End file.
